(no subject)
So, Dear Reader, did you get to see the Venus/Mars/New Moon conjuction this weekend? Friday evening, when it happened, it was raining here. Clahds in between, strike one! Saturday evening it was clear, had been all day. I forgot to look, strike two! I set a reminder for yesterday evening, then cancelled it as, you've guessed it, it was raining again. Clahds in between, strike three! H looked up the conjunction on Stellarium, a sky/astronomy program we have, he said that it looked as if it would have occurred at about 10 - 20° elevation above the horizon. Round here house rooves go up to about 23-25° elevation. Ahses in between. Strike Four!
Honestly, Dear Reader, doing any kind of astronomy around here is fraught with all sorts of discouragements. If the stars/planets/celestial events are above the surrounding houses, if the night is clear or overcast, if aforementioned celestial bodies/events are sufficiently bright to shine out through the streetlights . . . In the past few years the local streetlights have been replaced by ones which are designed to direct most of their light down onto the road and pavements rather than end up as light pollution in the sky. This is a Good Thing, though not all that much help when trying to star gaze as the streetlight sources are are another two or three metres above any would-be observer!
Consequently I do most of my 'stargazing' via The Sky at Night and other astronomy programmes, or online, where there are many useful websites, or even with the Stellarium program. It's not at all the same as seeing the events/bodies for myself, but it's better than perpetual 'ahses or clahds in between. And just so you can see what all the fuss was about, a photo of last Friday evening's three-way conjuction this time sighted near Delhi.
Back to Earth, a good news story from Africa, and you'll agree, Dear Reader, there aren't that many. A hundred-year-old slum of Nairobi, Kibera, is finally getting a major revamp. Roads, electricity, toilets, sewers, clean water, even Wi Fi are being installed as part of a government improvement plan. There is fifty percent unemployment in Kibera, so job creation schemes are being instigated, local people are being encouraged to make their own jobs. And, of course, once the people of Kibera have seen that the government is treating them as real people, they are beginning to do things for themselves as well. All being well Kibera will slowly transform from an horrific slum to just another suburb of Nairobi - which can only be a Good Thing.
Hmmm, wonder if they can see the Venus/Mars conjunction easily from Kibera? Or, for that matter, if it'll be visible tonight? Maybe I'll just set myself a reminder. Will you be looking, Dear Reader? Lowish in the sky, to the southwest. Y'all have a good day now, and a good viewing!
Honestly, Dear Reader, doing any kind of astronomy around here is fraught with all sorts of discouragements. If the stars/planets/celestial events are above the surrounding houses, if the night is clear or overcast, if aforementioned celestial bodies/events are sufficiently bright to shine out through the streetlights . . . In the past few years the local streetlights have been replaced by ones which are designed to direct most of their light down onto the road and pavements rather than end up as light pollution in the sky. This is a Good Thing, though not all that much help when trying to star gaze as the streetlight sources are are another two or three metres above any would-be observer!
Consequently I do most of my 'stargazing' via The Sky at Night and other astronomy programmes, or online, where there are many useful websites, or even with the Stellarium program. It's not at all the same as seeing the events/bodies for myself, but it's better than perpetual 'ahses or clahds in between. And just so you can see what all the fuss was about, a photo of last Friday evening's three-way conjuction this time sighted near Delhi.
Back to Earth, a good news story from Africa, and you'll agree, Dear Reader, there aren't that many. A hundred-year-old slum of Nairobi, Kibera, is finally getting a major revamp. Roads, electricity, toilets, sewers, clean water, even Wi Fi are being installed as part of a government improvement plan. There is fifty percent unemployment in Kibera, so job creation schemes are being instigated, local people are being encouraged to make their own jobs. And, of course, once the people of Kibera have seen that the government is treating them as real people, they are beginning to do things for themselves as well. All being well Kibera will slowly transform from an horrific slum to just another suburb of Nairobi - which can only be a Good Thing.
Hmmm, wonder if they can see the Venus/Mars conjunction easily from Kibera? Or, for that matter, if it'll be visible tonight? Maybe I'll just set myself a reminder. Will you be looking, Dear Reader? Lowish in the sky, to the southwest. Y'all have a good day now, and a good viewing!